Knot in the Heart

Zhu Shu pointed at Kang Sheng, stamping her foot as she cried, "What a heartless fool you are! Not only have you stolen my home, but now you hurl such harsh words at me!"

This outburst surprised Mingyue as well. Since Zhu Shu was clearly angry, Mingyue had thought she would mention having cared for Kang Sheng, but instead, it was the matter of the bamboo grove being occupied. Mingyue glanced at Kang Sheng, whose pale, weary face briefly flushed before his lips curled into a cold smile, the flush vanishing as quickly as it had come.

Kang Sheng sneered, "This is nothing more than an abandoned hut, unwanted by anyone. How can you call it your home?"

"You... you!" Zhu Shu's face turned red with rage, and she could hardly form a complete sentence as she pointed at Kang Sheng.

"And what of it? If you have no further business here, kindly leave. I need to rest. And stop touching my paintings." With that, Kang Sheng retreated to the inner room where the bed was and ignored Zhu Shu.

Behind him, Zhu Shu stomped her foot in exasperation, a rare hint of playfulness flashing across her face. Yet, even in her anger, she did not forget to remove the medicine pot from the stove, pour out the medicine, and leave it on the table. Perhaps still fuming, Zhu Shu departed without another word after putting the medicine down.

In the inner room, Kang Sheng sprawled on the couch, eyes fluttering open and shut, lost in thought. Soon, the bitter scent of medicine wafted in, and Mingyue saw a flash of pain or perhaps surprise cross Kang Sheng's face. After a moment's hesitation, he rose, went into the hall, and picked up the brown ceramic bowl. His fingers tightened around it, as if he meant to crush it in his grip.

Mingyue noticed something odd and moved closer. Indeed, she saw that, aside from the calluses formed from years of holding a brush, Kang Sheng's hands were well-kept—fair and slender, even after days of neglecting his health. Zhu Shu had mentioned only that Kang Sheng’s ancestral home was in Hejian, yet there were no notable families by the surname Kang there. And if he truly came from a wealthy family, wouldn't he at least have a servant or page by his side?

While Mingyue was lost in thought, Kang Sheng did indeed shatter the porcelain bowl in his hand. The shards cut his palm, and the still-warm medicinal liquid, now mixed with blood, splattered everywhere—Mingyue's face caught the brunt of it, unsurprised by the outcome. She cried out and only after rushing into the courtyard did she realize what had happened.

Qin Shi hurried after her. Fortunately, there was water already drawn at the well. He held the still-trembling Mingyue in place with one hand and gently washed her face and hair with the other. Some of the liquid must have gotten into her eye, for Mingyue kept blinking and frowning.

"Stay still," Qin Shi said, fingers damp as he gently wiped the medicine from her eye, her lashes brushing against his hand, tickling.

Mingyue obediently stood there, not even blinking, staring dazedly at Qin Shi, who was so close. She only felt his cool fingers glide across her face, lingering before finally pulling away. When Mingyue looked up, she saw something in Qin Shi's dark eyes she couldn't quite understand. She stood on tiptoe, trying to see more clearly, when suddenly Kang Sheng burst into mad laughter inside the house.

Mingyue rushed in to find the paintings that Zhu Shu had just stowed away for safekeeping now tossed upon the fire, and Kang Sheng slumped before the flames, staring at them with a wild, deranged look. Zhu Shu had cleared space for the stove earlier to boil medicine, so the fire was contained, not spreading. Still, seeing Kang Sheng in such a state, Mingyue couldn't help but reach for Qin Shi's sleeve—only to catch his little finger instead. She waggled her hand, whispering, "Don't you think Kang Sheng is more complicated than Zhu Shu says?"

"Does it matter to the story whether he is or not?"

Mingyue pouted, but curiosity lost out and she let it go.

The fire in the stove gradually died, and Kang Sheng, sitting on the floor, toppled over like a puppet with its strings cut. No one noticed until Zhu Shu returned the next day. She took in the scene with a glance, helped Kang Sheng onto the bed, tidied up, and set about brewing medicine again.

"Such beautiful paintings... why burn them all?" Zhu Shu murmured, turning over the charred remnants in her hand.

For better or worse, Kang Sheng did not wake this time, not even when Zhu Shu poured out the medicine. She tried to feed him with a porcelain spoon, but most of it dribbled down his chin and onto his neck. After nearly half was wasted, Kang Sheng opened his eyes with a frown and croaked, "Are you trying to give me a medicinal bath? You're scalding me."

Zhu Shu's face turned red once more, and she hung her head in silence.

Kang Sheng snatched the bowl and gulped down the medicine, then shoved the bowl back into Zhu Shu's hands and lay back down. "I've finished. You can go."

Zhu Shu took Kang Sheng's injured right hand. He tried to pull back, but she held fast. "You’re so stubborn; I have no patience for your nonsense." She murmured an incantation, and a swirl of white mist wrapped around Kang Sheng’s hand. Seeing his shock, she said, "That's right, I’m a spirit. I used to live in that bamboo grove, but you’ve taken it over. So, have you stolen my home?"

Without waiting for a response, Zhu Shu waved her hand, and the room instantly became as neat and livable as a proper home. Finished, she turned to go, but Kang Sheng caught her hand.

"Will you let me see your true form?"

Zhu Shu seemed surprised. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Demons and spirits are nothing but a second skin over a human one." Kang Sheng shook his head, pointing to his chest. "The truly terrifying thing is always the human heart beneath this skin."

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhu Shu pressed her hand to her face, revealing her true appearance.

To Mingyue, the change was subtle—a mysterious mark now rested between her brows, and there was a touch more allure to her eyes and features. Not the bewitchment of a fox spirit, but a naive, gentle charm that was more endearing than seductive. At least, Kang Sheng didn’t seem to mind.

He released her hand, covering his eyes with his wrist. "Since I’ve taken your home, why do you bother with these pointless gestures? Do you hope I’ll feel grateful enough to give it back?"

"Would you rather I watched you die?"

Kang Sheng’s voice darkened. "Would dying be so bad?"

"I've lived for centuries and still think life is good," Zhu Shu replied seriously.

Kang Sheng gave a low laugh, then, uncharacteristically, reached out and pulled Zhu Shu onto the couch, wrapping her in his arms, one hand firmly around her waist, leaving her no chance to refuse or escape. Zhu Shu, unaccustomed to such closeness with humans, blushed deeply, her hands awkward and her whole body stiff. After a while, she began to struggle, but Kang Sheng quelled every attempt. Just as she was about to cast a spell, he said quietly, "Let me hold you a while. It's been so long since I slept well."

At this, Zhu Shu went limp and, after a moment, nodded. Kang Sheng hugged her even tighter.

Mingyue laughed. "Kang Sheng certainly doesn't look like an invalid with moves like that."

"Zhu Shu is no match for him," Qin Shi replied softly.

Mingyue nodded with a smile. "If Kang Sheng wished, he could easily handle ten Zhu Shus."

Kang Sheng slept for a long time. Eventually, exhaustion overtook Zhu Shu as well, and she fell asleep in his embrace. So when Kang Sheng awoke, the first thing he saw was the tranquil beauty sleeping in his arms. He smiled softly, then leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Zhu Shu’s lips.

"Why is it that in every story, the men always do this? Is it really that pleasant?" Mingyue mused.

Qin Shi’s face changed slightly, a hint of embarrassment in his answer. "Perhaps it’s a sensation only they can understand."

"Really?" Mingyue suddenly turned, hooked an arm around Qin Shi's neck, and pulled him down. On tiptoe, she pressed her lips to his—cool and soft. Without noticing the shock in Qin Shi’s eyes, Mingyue let go and muttered, "I don’t feel anything special."

Qin Shi lowered his gaze and laughed quietly. "We’re not that kind of pair; naturally, we can’t feel it. Perhaps... one day, when you find a man like that, you’ll understand."

He turned his head away, eyes drifting elsewhere. Mingyue nodded absently, and when she looked back at Kang Sheng, he had already released Zhu Shu, risen, and walked into the hall, where he unrolled a blank scroll. Kang Sheng held his brush poised over the empty paper for a long time, unmoving. Just then, a scroll appeared in Mingyue’s hand as well—she unfurled it and found it blank.

Suddenly, Kang Sheng dipped his brush in ink and began to paint. With a few deft strokes, the image of a beautiful woman began to emerge—rare playfulness captured, the very liveliness she had shown only in his presence.